Electrical connector



Nov. 28, 1939. A. w. FAIRES ET AL 2,181,802

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Filed March 30, 1938 3 wu Mo l b vq/zirur fw'res, WLllornH. Green L Lana 25% Patented Nov. 28, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Application March 30, 1938, Serial No. 198,998

Claims.

This invention relates to electrical connectors and, in its more specific aspects, to safety clamps for connecting and disconnecting a hot or high tension line wire to an insulator.

5 According to current practice, high tension line wires are connected to an insulator by a tie which consists of a length of wire usually running from about 54 to 74" in length. This tie wire is passed around the insulator head and then wrapped around the line Wire to secure the latter to the insulator. The task of applying tie Wires as aforesaid is a diflicult as well as a hazardous undertaking, With the lineman effecting the tie by the use of so-called hot line sticks. 15 When, in the case of line trouble or replacement of an insulator, it becomes necessary to untie the line wire from the insulator, the unwrapping of the tie wire is a laborious and timeconsuming proceeding and, by reason of the likecontact with a parallel line wire, there exists great danger of short-circuiting the line under repair. The use of tie wires is further disadvantageous in that they loosen with the sway and vibration of the line, causing an are which is believed to result in radio interference.

While there have been hitherto made suggestions of mechanical clamps for securing line wires to insulators, such have not been successful or practical, with the result that the use of tie wires has prevailed, despite the recognized disadvantages and danger to the lineman inherent in their use, as well as high labor costs involved 35 in applying the tie wire and in removing it when repair of the line wire or insulator is necessary.

Accordingly, among the objects of the present invention may be noted the provision of improved means of securing a line wire to an insulator 4 which does away with tie Wires, which may be applied with a minimum of labor, and which may be applied and thereafter operated with minimum hazard to the lineman; the provision of a mechanical clamp for securing a line wire to an insulator, which is simple and inexpensive in manufacture, which may be applied with facility to the insulator, and which is efficient and durable in use and operation; the provision of a clamp for line wires, which is characterized by a high degree of safety in application and subsequent operation; the provision of a clamp for line wires which may be readily applied to the insulator, either before or after mounting of the insulator on the pole cross arm, and which may be mechanically operated 'both to secure the line lihood of the loose end of the tie wire coming in wire to the insulator and to uncouple the line wire from the insulator as may be required.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out in connection with the following analysis of this invention wherein '5 is illustrated an embodiment of the invention in detail.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a part section view of a line wire clamp in accordance with the present invention, applied 10 to a pin type insulator and securing a line wire thereto;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the clamp as illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section taken along lines 33 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a separated View of a clamp with securing means therefor such as is suitable for securing the clamp to an insulator of a double cross arm construction.

In the drawing, wherein like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, the reference character l0 desi nates an insulator which may be of the pin type for, mounting on pins projecting upwardly from a pole cross arm (not shown), the insulator having a head portion l I provided with a longitudinal line wire receiving groove l2 and a neck portion I3 of reduced diameter, the latter being more clearly shown in Fig. 2. With a single cross arm it is desirable that the line wire be secured at both sides of the insulator I0, and to this end companion clamp elements as illustrated in Figs.

1, 2 and 3 are provided. Each of said clamp elements includes an elongated base plate [5, from 3 one end of which extends, preferably in integral manner, a semi-circular strap l6 adapted to be secured to a reversely disposed semi-circular strap I1 of the companion clamp. As will be observed from Fig. 2, the straps I6, I! of the companion clamps are secured to each other about the neck portion l3 of the insulator, through securing bolts I 8, [9, whereby the companion clamp elements are fixedly secured to the insulator.

Extending through an unthreaded hole in the base plate l5 of each clamp, which hole is disposed laterally of the longitudinal center line thereof, is a J-shaped clamp bolt 20, to the head of which is rigidly secured a grooved clamp jaw 50 2|, the groove of which is adapted to overlie a longitudinal groove or depression 22 punched or otherwise formed in the base plate l5 and extending along the longitudinal center line of the base plate.

The arm of the clamp bolt 20 is reduced in diameter adjacent its end portion as indicated at 25 (Fig. 3), such reduced end, when the bolt is moved to its lowermost or wire clamping portion, being received in a countersunk hole 26 in the base plate, thereby to prevent angling of the bolt as it is actuated into its final clamping position with reference to the base plate l5.

The shank portion of the bolt 21? is threaded, but may move freely through the base plate l5. Actuating means for causing relative raising and lowering movement of the bolt is provided, such comprising a nut generally designated 28 (Fig. 3), the nut being seated in a socket formed on the under face of the base plate by downstruck tongues 3t, 35, the latter being bent inwardly to engage beneath shoulder 32 formed on nut 25. The socket-forming tongues 3t, 3! provides a seat on which the nut 28 may be rotated, while locating the nut so that it may be operated from below the base plate. The nut 28 is provided with a threaded axial bore which engages with the threaded shank portion of the bolt Eli, and its lower end 33 is formed angular section (preferably square) to provide a head for reception in the socket end M of a pole wrench 35 as indicated in Fig. 4.

The end of the base plate removed from the securing strip is turned upwardly to provide a raised block portion id which is provided with a groove or depression M in alignment with groove 22 of the base plate, and with the wire receiving groove of the insulator head ll. By reason of the relative elevation of the block portion ll with reference to the base plate 55, groove M is disposed at or about the elevation of the head groove 52, with groove 2?: of the plate having a lesser elevation.

As will be observed from Figs. 1 and 2, the com panion clamp elements are secured in aligned, fore and aft relation to the insulator ill by nuts 63, it operating to secure the straps it, ill in encircling relation about the neck iii of the insulator. Assuming that the line wire designated (15 is held by suitable means above the clamps, the jaws 2! are each turned so that its wire groove overlies the line-wire, and thereupon the jaw is lowered sufficiently until the head portion of the clamp bolt 2El is hooked over it. Theclamp bolt is thereupon lowered to its clamping posi tion, this lowering movement being efiected by bringing the socket end 34 of the pole wrench 35 into engagement with the square head 33 of the nut 28, the handle of the wrench being provided with a bore of sufficient length as to receive the shank portion of the bolt as indicated in Fig. 1. Turning movement of the wrench handle in proper direction causes rotation of the nut 28 in such direction as to move the bolt 2d downwardly. With the jaw ill of the bolt disposed over the wire 45, the wire is gripped with increasing force until it is finally clamped between the jaw iii and the base plate it, being disposed in the grooves 22 and ll of the base plate i5 and saddle block lu, respectively. Thus, simple rotation of the pole wrench 35 from below the clamp operates to securely clamp and also to tension the wire between the insulator head and the tension block due to the fact that the head groove l2 and the block groove ii are at a greater elevation than the clamping surface of the base plate.

By the provision of companion clamps, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the line wire is clamped at both sides of the insulator and seats under tension in the head groove 52 of the insulator.

Where insulators are carried on spaced crossarms mounted on both sides of the line carrying pole, such being the so-called double cross-arm construction, insufficient space is provided between the cross-arms as to permit the securement of companion clamps on each insulator, as with the single cross-arm construction. Accordingly, with the double cross-arm construction, one clamp is used with each insulator of a cross-arm and is secured to the insulator neck by means of a semi-circular strap Mia cooperating with the strap Iii extending from base plate i5, as indicated in Fig. 4.

The ease with which clamps in accordance with the invention may be applied to insulators and the line wire thereupon connected in fixed manner both to the insulator and to the clamps will be apparent from the above description. If, due to line trouble, or the requirement of replacing a broken insulator, it becomes necessary to disconnect the line wire from the insulator, such may be effected readily by coupling the pole wrench with the nut head 33 and turning the nut 28 in opposition direction than that already described. Such turning movement of the nut results in raising movement of the bolt 2t? and clamp jaw 2!, whereby to disconnect the wire from the clamp and insulator, suitable means, such as a gin pole and block and tackle operated from the ground, being provided to raise the wire from the insulator to a safe working position with reference thereto. Upon correction of the line failure or replacement of the insulator, the line may thereafter be lowered and clamped in the manner described.

It will be observed that clamps of the above character overcome the known disadvantages incident to the use of tie wires for tying line wires to insulators and are further relatively safe in operation by reason of the fact that the clamps may be operated by a relatively long pole Wrench, thus to overcome the requirement of the lineman working in proximity to the live wire.

The clamp as described further substantially eliminates the danger of short-circuiting the wire being worked on with a parallel wire, while at the same time reduces very materially the time necessary to secure or uncouple a line wire from an insulator.

As many changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or a shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. A safety hot-line clamp comprising, in com-- bination, an elongated base member, means on one end of the member for securing the latter to an insulator, a J-shaped clamp bolt whose head provides a clamp jaw and having a threaded shank extending through the base member, and l a rotatable nut threadedly related to the shank portion and operatively secured to the base member, said nut being operative from beneath the base member to actuate the bolt through said member whereby to move the jaw toward and away from the upper face of the member.

2. A safety hot-line clamp comprising, in combination, an elongated base member, means at one end of the member for securing the latter to an insulator, a J-shaped clamp bolt whose head provides a clamp jaw and having a threaded shank extending through the base member, a rotatable nut threadedly related to the shank portion, means on the under face of the base member forming a socket for the nut, the nut being operable from beneath the member to actuate the bolt therethrough, whereby to move the clamp jaw toward and away from the upper face of the member.

3. A safety hot-line clamp comprising, in combination, an elongated base member, means on one end of the member for securing the latter to an insulator, a clamp bolt having a substantially J-shaped head, a clamp jaw carried by the head, the bolt having a threaded shank extending through the base member, a nut socket on the under face of the face member, a nut threaded on the shank portion and carried by said nut socket, the nut being operative upon rotation to actuate the bolt through the base member, said member having an opening in its upper face and the bolt head having a portion engageable in said opening upon movement of the bolt to its lowermost position with reference to the base member.

4. A safety hot-line clamp comprising, in combination, an elongated base member having a substantially horizontal upper face, means at one end of the base member for securing the same to an insulator, a bolt member having a threaded shank portion which extends through and below the base member, a jaw member carried by the bolt at the upper end thereof, the bolt being arranged both for turning and axial movement whereby the jaw member may be turned to and away from a position in which it may engage over a line wire to be clamped and whereby the jaw member may be moved towards and away from the base member, a rotatable nut having threaded engagement with the shank portion of the bolt, and means on the under face of the base member for securing the nut thereto while permitting free rotation thereof with reference to the base member.

5. A safety hot-line clamp comprising, in combination, an elongated base member having a substantially horizontal upper face, means at one end of the base member for securing the same to an insulator, the base member having an unthreacled hole therethrough disposed laterally of the longitudinal center line of the base member, a bolt member having a threaded shank portion passing through said hole and terminating below the base member, a jaw member carried by the belt at the upper end thereof and having a wire receiving groove, the bolt being arranged both for turning and for axial movement whereby the jaw member may be turned to and away from a position in which it may engage over a line wire with its wire receiving groove extending along the longitudinal center line of the base member and whereby the jaw member may be moved toward and away from the base member, a rotatable nut having threaded engagement with the portion of the bolt, and means on the under face of the base member for securing the nut thereto while permitting free rotation thereof with reference to the base member.

ARTHUR W. FAIRES. WILLIAM H. GREEN. LELAND E. FINE. 

